


Frozen Heart

by Myth_is_a_Mirror



Category: Midnight Poppy Land (Webcomic)
Genre: Crack Crossover, F/M, Fluff, Frozen (Disney Movies) References, Light Angst, Silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:09:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28278159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myth_is_a_Mirror/pseuds/Myth_is_a_Mirror
Summary: Tora watches "Frozen" with Poppy, falls asleep, and dreams he's in the movie.Yes, this is a bizarro crossover, but it's what my dearann_jay009requested. This is a gift for her, the queen of crack fics ;) Hope you all get a few laughs.
Relationships: Tora/Poppy Wilkes
Comments: 21
Kudos: 49
Collections: MPL Christmas Collab 2020





	Frozen Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ann_jay009](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ann_jay009/gifts).



> Mature rating is ONLY for language. There are no sexy times here just happy fluff and humor sandwiching a bit of angst. Also, the title comes from the first song in the movie - ["Frozen Heart"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TXc2JbCjmw).
> 
> All my thanks to S_Emolina, ladygutterbaby, and PhantomDingo for the beta read assistance. Crack fics are not my norm, so I needed help.

Tora flexed his hands. There were no scrapes, but the muscles felt sore after beating down some rival thugs the night before. A bone deep weariness suffused his body, and it always seemed to shake out through his hands last. _Probably psychosomatic_ , Poppy had said once.

After stretching his fingers out like a star, then clenching again, he extended his trigger finger out and in slowly. Shaking his head, he buried his nose in Poppy’s hair.

They’d settled in for movie night, watching Frozen, some animated show about two sisters or something. It was around the holidays and without her parents, she'd gotten a little fixated on their traditions. If his girl wanted a movie night, Tora would rally and be there for her.

“The opening scene is so symbolic!” Poppy pointed at the screen. “You wouldn’t know it yet, but it’s even more amazing on a rewatch. You see there's this group of strong, hardy men chopping away at the ice. They do everything they can to tame and subjugate nature, while the movie itself is about an isolated young woman who can’t seem to control her own wild, natural power. Amazing metaphor, huh?”

She turned her face up to him, and he had to smile. There was no other choice when Poppy was full of optimism and shining, creative thoughts.

“Sure, kid.” He knocked his forehead against hers.

On the screen, a group of men sang as they struck the ice, splitting it into neat cubes. Looked like good, honest work. 

_This icy force both foul and fair._

_Has a frozen heart worth mining._

_So cut through the heart, cold and clear._

_Strike for love and strike for fear._

_See the beauty, sharp and sheer._

_Split the ice apart, and break the frozen heart._

Tora snuggled her closer, wrapping his arm fully around her side and trying not to cop a feel. She loved to watch the whole thing, even if he often fell asleep halfway through. As tired as he was by the end of the week, she brought him to life in another way. The polar opposite of his work with the Balthumans, Poppy grounded him in what a real, normal routine could be like. He needed that. The simple, domestic moments were just as important as their passionate ones. 

“You’ve got a mind for this stuff, analyzing stories and shit,” he said. She shrugged, but he caught sight of her upturned smile, could almost feel the pride vibrating from her, so he kept up the compliments. “It makes ya a great editor. Quincey’s sure sold on your skills, and that’s not easy. He’s a real princess when it comes to his writing.”

She turned to him again, cataloguing his face quietly for a moment before simply saying, “I love you.”

Lightning sparkles of warmth shot from his chest to his limbs. Moments like this still took him by surprise, how honest she was with her feelings. She said those three words like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Tora wanted to reply, _I love you, too_. The words clanged around in his heart, audible in his mind even though nothing came out of his mouth. It should be easy, but he felt frozen. He bent to kiss her instead, soft and brief. She hummed and pinched his chin before turning back to the movie.

He tried to pay attention to the movie, but his chest was so tight, thoughts roiling inside of him at how incapable he was of saying “I love you” to the person who mattered so much to him. He’d said it before, said many heartfelt things, but it wasn’t as effortless as they way she did. Putting voice to his deepest connection to her always felt like they had to be dug out, like gravel in his throat when they finally came out. It left him exhausted and vulnerable. He felt stupid half the time, not that _she’d_ made him feel that way. It was just… he had no practice, felt like a dumb kid. Saying _I love you_ should be easier than this. He wrestled with his inadequacy alone, hoping he could show her in other ways - kisses, breakfast in bed, keeping her safe, and trying to make her happy. It would have to be enough for now.

She burst out laughing, and he tried to refocus on the movie. The princess, Anna, was fumbling around in some little boat with this prince dude.

“ _I’m awkward. You’re gorgeous. What?!_ ” She mimicked Anna’s interaction with the prince on the horse and grinned up at him. “Sounds like me the first few weeks we met. I was really out of my depth.”

 _And I wasn’t_? He thought back to how she turned him inside out in a matter of days. Instead of spilling his guts, he coughed and poked a thumb at the characters tumbling around in a boat. “If you’re Anna, that makes me what… Hans? The bad guy?”

“Oh my gosh, NO!” She slapped his chest then chuckled. “You’re more of a…” Another fit of giggles overtook her.

“What?” he asked with mock outrage. “The horse? That asshole ambassador? I'm no Kristoff that's for damn sure.”

She pulled back slightly and turned in her seat to face him, sucking in her lips to keep from laughing before finally continuing, “You’re more of an Elsa, actually.”

His eyebrows shot up before morphing into a teasing smirk. “I do look good in blue.”

“Pfft!” Poppy settled her back against the opposite armrest and rested her feet in his lap. “You look good in everything.” 

“And nothing?” 

“That too, you dork!” She laughed and wriggled her toes, stuffing her face with so much popcorn she looked like the hamster he always joked she was.

“Think ya deserve a foot rub after calling me a princess?” Tora gripped one foot and started to knead it anyway.

“Queen, actually.” She hummed in pleasure and said around a mouthful of popcorn. “But no. Elsa is a hero, silly! Just like you.”

Tora shook his head and rubbed her cute little feet. They ate the whole bowl of popcorn as the movie went on. When this weird little snowman dude came on screen, he made an instant connection.

“If I’m Elsa, I hate to break it to ya, but you're no Anna.”

Poppy’s mouth fell open. “How very dare you!”

“You’re more of a…” He bit back a chuckle and pitched his voice higher. “I’m Olaf, and I like warm hugs!”

Her eyes narrowed to slits, but her upturned mouth betrayed how she was trying not to laugh. 

“Okay. Fair.” 

That’s all the warning he had before she shot across the couch and into his lap, tackling him in a giant hug. For someone so small, she really could blanket him in softness and warmth. He melted every time.

They kissed and lost themselves in each other for a few minutes before she insisted that ‘movie night’ was a sacred, no fooling around, kinda night. A guy could dream. And Tora was a satisfied boyfriend, since Netflix-and-chill was the regular route of their evenings. 

He smiled and settled her next to him again, kissing her hair and trying to follow the strange plot. Noticing her goosebumps, he tucked the blanket around both shoulders like a little sushi roll.

“Lemme guess…” She kissed his jaw and winked. “The cold never bothered you anyway?”

“Pfft.” His shoulders shook on a chuckle. “Sure, kid.”

Around the time the trolls chased the princess and the snowman from the ice palace, Tora’s exhaustion from his hellacious week took over. His limbs grew heavy, eyes struggling to stay open. Everything turned dark and comfortable, curled around his Poppy.

_Don’t let them in. Don’t let them see._

_Conceal, don’t feel._

_Don’t let them know._

Cracking his eyes open, a shocking white light blinded Tora. No matter where he looked it was just light.

Wait. Not light. Snow. It covered the field and trees nearby and the mountains in the distance.

But he felt… numb, a little warm even, everywhere except his hands which seemed to crackle with a cold, electric, living energy. Lifting them up, he realized something was very wrong. His fingers were long and slender. Small. Twisting them over, a gauzy see-through fabric came up in a V to his middle knuckle. Smooth, delicate knuckles. Long, round, pale pink nails.

“No, no, no, no.” His voice came out high and melodic. As he turned, a white blond braid whipped over his shoulder. “Oh fork! What? Son of a bench! Grrrr. Shiitake Mushrooms!”

With horrified slowness, he craned down to look at his body. Just as he suspected, two breasts covered in a glittering fabric protruded from his chest. He wasn’t going to touch them. Too weird. His center of gravity felt off in this slender body, constrained by a long gown that swirled elegantly around him as he rotated in the opposite direction.

Closing his eyes, he counted to three and took a deep breath. Opening his eyes again, nothing had changed.

“This is forking bullshorts,” he shouted, then growled again and slammed a closed fist against his leg with each word. “For-king-Bull-Shorts. AHhhhHH!”

A chill shot from his heart down his arms and coursed all the way to his fingertips. His heart raced at the out of control feeling. The power. Seeing snow swirling from his hands like a swarm of bees, he nearly tripped backwards. A mini cyclone took shape, glowing and sparkling. Birds chirped a friendly song as a familiar, small, three-tiered snowman formed in front of his eyes. With a strawberry nose and red flowers for buttons, he recognized her immediately.

“Hi!” The chipper voice was unmistakable. “I’m Poppy, and I like warm hugs.”

“Un-forking-believable.” Tora shook his head and his blond bangs got in the way. He blew out a breath to knock them out of his eyes. “Bobby, you’re a forking…”

She looked down and poked one of the flowers. “Snowman. Pretty cool, huh?”

Tora shook his head and put his hands on his hips, talking to himself more than her as he paced back and forth. “I’m dreaming. This is a dream. A weird forking dream. Dagnabit, wake up you ash-hole.” His voice was still high and song-like. So creepy. He heaved a sigh and resolved to just stop trying to curse. In this bizarro princess dreamland he was just gonna tire himself out. He needed to focus on waking up. 

He pinched his arm. No luck. Without a second thought, he slapped himself hard on the face. A resounding crack echoed across the forested valley. The sting barely registered. _Still stuck in this wintery heck-hole. Ugh, can’t even curse in the peace of my own mind._

“Whoa, pretty lady!” The little snow-woman rushed to his side.

“Lady?” Tora’s voice came out high and clear as a bell. 

“Well yeah.” Poppy’s wide toothy grin looked him up and down. “You’re some kinda queen or something, if I had to guess.”

“Name's Tora,” he insisted.

“Queen Tora,” Poppy said with gravity and bowed, her little twig arms moving in a fancy flourish. “Nice to meet you, Your Majesty.”

Tora groaned and pinched his nose between two pretty, girlish fingers.

“Ma’am..ummm Tora?” Poppy’s tone was troubled. She clenched her gut. Tora dropped to one knee and inspected her closer. Snowflakes swirled around her. “I don’t feel so well.”

The air grew warmer, the sun at his back and the melting snow around him cluing him into the fact Poppy was in deep trouble. Besides the snow around them, it seemed to be summer otherwise. He gathered her in his arms and stalked to the shade of a large tree, a place away from the sun and growing warmth.

“Hmmm, this is nice.” Poppy’s strange snowy body nestled into him in just the same way she'd done on the couch for movie night. 

“This is a dream. It’s just a dream. A dumb dream. This isn’t real.” No matter how many times he said it, the snow-woman in his arms got lighter and smaller. “Poppy is okay. She has to be.”

“I am okay.” Her round little eyes blinked up at him, that silly grin still plastered on her face. “I loved meeting you, the nicest, gentlest, warmest person ever.”

Poppy was all optimism and enthusiasm, made of magic. 

“Magic!” Tora shouted and dropped her to the ground, focusing on the cold, chaotic power in his new hands. He pushed them palm out to her. “Come on….come on you son of a bench, cork and balls, princess hands! WORK!”

“You know what true magic is?” Poppy said as she shrank smaller, thin and willowy, her voice more hollow by the second. “Love.”

 _Love. Love is magic._ Tora’s sight clouded with tears just as a glowing, icy flurry shot from his fingertips. It swirled around Poppy, only the little strawberry nose visible in the storm. _This has to work!_

“Poppy!”

Tora woke up with a start, sitting straight up. Darkness was everywhere. A solid weight shifted next to him. His heart raced and hands shook, but he could barely move, stuck in the terror of losing her. It was a dream. It wasn’t real. His throat was tight with emotion as he spun around. Poppy twisted and stretched in the bed beside him.

“Tora?” Her small hand reached for him.

“I’m here.” He laid back on his side and interlaced their fingers, kissing each of hers before nudging her stray hair aside with their joined hands. He looped his other arm under her neck, drawing her firmly against him in an embrace.

“Y’ok?” Her voice was low and sleep addled. “Nightmare?”

She looked so peaceful, eyes closed and murmuring. He didn’t want to bother her with his unsettling dream. He only needed to hold her, solid and safe in his arms. Everything would be okay. “Just a hug. Do I need a reason?”

“Hmmm, I guess not. You know how much I love warm hugs.” She snuggled closer, a little smile tugging up one side of her mouth. 

“I love you.” The words just fell out of him, barely audible above the hum of the fan and the noise of the street just beyond. He stilled, terrified the declaration would just hang there in the silence, that she’d fall asleep, and his first easy _I-love-you_ would be lost. Gone. As illogical as it seemed, it'd be like a rejection. That damn dream had him twisted up, all the worry and-

“Love you too.” She sighed and kissed his neck, eyes still closed. She was already half asleep again.

Easy. It was really that simple to say _I-love-you_ and have it returned. Everything with her was so damn easy, and she deserved all the _I-love-you_ s he could muster. For the first time in forever, he realized how limitless those were. _I love you._ It was that simple, and he had so many ready to be given away. They could just tumble out over a morning kiss, after a long day at work, or as thanks for helping with chores, maybe… maybe even just because. Like that very moment.

Closing his eyes, Tora smiled and hummed the first song in the movie, the manly one about breaking up ice.

_Cut through the heart, cold and clear._

_Strike for love and strike for fear._

_See the beauty, sharp and sheer._

_Split the ice apart, and break the frozen heart._

On an exhale, he let it go, all the worry over what to say and how. Who cared? He was safe with Poppy. He could just be, saying anything, practice being a real person for once in his fucking life.

_I can curse again! Hell yeah!_

As he breathed in her clean, floral scent, everything seemed right. His throat wasn’t tight. His chest felt warm, frozen heart no more. He tucked the blankets around them and pulled her closer, smiling into the darkness. As that dorky little snowman would say, _some people are worth melting for._

**Author's Note:**

> Curse words thanks to/inspired by "The Good Place." Better than good, it's a GREAT tv show!
> 
> If you like my stuff, subscribe here on AO3. For more updates and thirsty content, I’m occasionally on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/mythisamirror/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/mythisamirror). I’d love to hear from you any which way :)
> 
> Important disclaimer: The characters and world utilized in this are all property of Lilydusk. Any similarity between this fan fiction and Midnight Poppy Land is due to pure coincidence (or a good guess on my part). This is a love letter to Lilydusk’s body of work, and she retains all rights to the characters and world.


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